For every four pounds of poultry, measure out one tablespoon of salt. Take your thawed bird, rinse, then pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the inside cavities, then the entire breast side with salt. Turn the bird sideways and sprinkle with salt. Turn bird to other side and do the same, finishing with the underside. Take a plastic bag and place the bird inside. Squeeze as much air as you can from the bag and seal it up tight. Place it in your refrigerator for THREE days.

The night before you’re going to cook your turkey (or 8 hours before you’re going to start cooking it), remove it from the plastic bag and place it in a large dish breast side DOWN. Remove the bird from fridge when the 8 hours has passed, stuff it, and let rest at room temperature for one hour prior to placing it in your pre-heated 425 degree oven. Throwing a little butter and/or your favorite herbs on it won’t hurt.

Assuming you use a roasting rack, place the turkey breast side DOWN and let bake for ONE HOUR at 425 degrees. Remove from oven, flip the bird breast side UP (I use oven mitts), and bake at 325 degrees until the little thermometer pops out or your oven thermometer reads 165 degrees. For extra golden skin, baste occasionally with butter.

Once finished, remove the turkey from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes. Carve and serve.